Macklemore and Ryan Lewis want to talk to you about white privilege

[Verse 1] Pulled into the parking lot, parked itZipped up my parka, joined the procession of marchersIn my head like, "Is this awkward, should I even be here marching?"Thinking if they can't, how can I breathe?Thinking that they chant, what do I sing?I want to take a stance cause we are not freeAnd then I thought about it, we are not weAm I in the outside looking in, or am I in the inside looking out?Is it my place to give my two centsOr should I stand on the side and shut my mouth for justice? No peaceOkay, I'm saying that they're chanting out, "Black lives matter", but I don't say it backIs it okay for me to say? I don't know, so I watch and standIn front of a line of police that look the same as meOnly separated by a badge, a baton, a can of Mace, a maskA shield, a gun with gloves and hands that gives an alibiIn case somebody dies behind a bullet that flies out of the 9Takes another child's life on sight

[Hook]Blood in the streets, no justice, no peaceNo racist beliefs, no rest 'til we're freeThere's blood in the streets, no justice, no peaceNo racist beliefs, no rest 'til we're free

Blood in the streets, no justice, no peaceNo racist beliefs, no rest 'til we're freeThere's blood in the streets, no justice, no peaceNo racist beliefs, no rest 'til we're free(Ben, think about it)

[Verse 2]You've exploited and stolen the music, the momentThe magic, the passion, the fashion, you toy withThe culture was never yours to make betterYou're Miley, you're Elvis, you're Iggy AzaleaFake and so plastic, you've heisted the magicYou've taken the drums and the accent you rapped inYou're branded "hip-hop", it's so fascist and backwardsThat Grandmaster Flash'd go slap it, you bastardAll the money that you madeAll the watered down pop bullshit version of the culture, palGo buy a big-ass lawn, go with your big-ass houseGet a big-ass fence, keep people outIt's all stubborn, anyway, can't you see that now?There's no way for you to even that outYou can join the march, protest, scream and shoutGet on Twitter, hashtag and seem like you're downBut they see through it all, people believe you nowYou said publicly, "Rest in peace, Mike Brown"You speak about equality, but do you really mean it?Are you marching for freedom, or when it's convenient?Want people to like you, want to be acceptedThat's probably why you are out here protestingDon't think for a second you don't have incentiveIs this about you, well, then what's your intention?What's the intention? What's the intention?

[Verse 3]Psst, I totally get it, you're by yourselfAnd the last thing you want to do is take a pictureBut seriously, my little girl loves youShe's always singing, "I'm gonna pop some tags"I'm not kidding, my oldest, you even got him to go thriftingAnd "One Love", oh, my God, that song – brilliantTheir aunt is gay, when that song came outMy son told his whole class he was actually proudThat's so cool, look what you're accomplishingEven an old mom like me likes it cause it's positiveYou're the only hip-hop that I let my kids listen toCause you get it, all that negative stuff isn't coolYeah, like all the guns and the drugsThe bitches and the hoes and the gangs and the thugsEven the protest outside – so sad and so dumbIf a cop pulls you over, it's your fault if you runHuh?

[Interlude: Multiple voices]So, they feel that the police are discriminating against the, the black people? I have an advantage? Why? Cause I'm white? What? Haha. No. People nowadays are just pussies. Like, this is the generation to be offended by everything. Black Lives Matter thing is a reason to take arms up over perceived slights. I'm not prejudiced, I just–. 99% of the time across this country, the police are doing their job properly

[Verse 4]Damn, a lot of opinions, a lot of confusion, a lot of resentmentSome of us scared, some of us defensive and most of us aren't even paying attentionIt seems like we're more concerned with being called racist than we actually are with racismI've heard that silences are action and God knows that I've been passiveWhat if I actually read a article, actually had a dialogueActually looked at myself, actually got involved?If I'm aware of my privilege and do nothing at all, I don't knowHip-hop has always been political, yes, it's the reason why this music connectsSo what the fuck has happened to my voice if I stay silent when black people are dyingThen I'm trying to be politically correct?I can book a whole tour, sell out the ticketsRap entrepreneur, built his own businessIf I'm only in this for my own self-interest, not the culture that gave me a voice to begin withThen this isn't authentic, it is just a gimmickThe DIY underdog, so independentBut the one thing the American dream fails to mention is I was many steps ahead to begin withMy skin matches the hero, likeness, the imageAmerica feels safe with my music in their systemsAnd it's suited me perfect, the role, I've fulfilled itAnd if I'm the hero, you know who gets cast as the villainWhite supremacy isn't just a white dude in IdahoWhite supremacy protects the privilege I holdWhite supremacy is the soil, the foundation, the cement and the flag that flies outside of my homeWhite supremacy is our country's lineage, designed for us to be indifferentMy success is the product of the same system that let off Darren Wilson guiltyWe want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand byWe take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand byWe take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?

[Interlude: Multiple voices]Black Lives Matter, to use an analogy, is like if there was a subdivision and a house was on fire. The fire department wouldn't show up and start putting water on all the houses because all houses matter. They would show up and they would turn their water on the house that is burning because that's the house that needs it the most. My generation has taken on the torch of a very age-old fight for black liberation, but also liberation for anyone, and injustice anywhere is still injustice everywhere. The best thing white people can do is talk to each other. And having those very difficult, very painful conversations with your parents, with your family members. I think one of the critical questions for white people in this society is what are you willing to risk, what are you willing to sacrifice to create a more just society?

[Outro: Jamila Woods]Your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxuryYour silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxuryYour silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxuryYour silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxuryWhat I got for me, it is for meWhy we may, we may to set us freeWhat I got for me, it is for meWhy we may, we may to set us freeWhat I got for me, it is for meWhy we may, we may to set us free

About Paul Spoerry

I’m a groovy cat who’s into technology, Eastern Thought, and house music. I’m a proud and dedicated father to the coolest little guy on the planet (seriously, I'm NOT biased). I’m fascinated by ninjas, the Internet, and anybody who can balance objects on their nose for long periods of time.

I have a utility belt full of programming languages and a database of all my knowledge on databases... I practice code fu. Oh, I've also done actual Kung Fu, and have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.